Apparatus for operating an electric switch



1965 w. A. BARDEN ETAL 3,198,920

APPARATUS FOR OPERATING AN ELECTRIC SWITCH Filed Dec. 22, 1961 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTORS WAYNE A. BARDEN ST LEY O. BENDER ATTORNEY g- 3, 1955 w. A. BARDEN ETAL 3,198,920

APPARATUS FOR OPERATING AN ELECTRIC SWITCH Filed Dec. 22, 1961 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTORS WAYNE A. BARDEN STANLEY O. BENDER ATTORNEY United States Patent f 3,198,920 APPARATUS FUR OPERATING AN ELECTRIC SWITCH Wayne A. Barden, Ellrhart, Ind, and Stanley 0. Bender, Asheviile, N.C., assignors to CTS Corporation, Elkhart, Ind, a corporation of Indiana Filed Dec. 22, 1961, Ser. No. 161,718 Claims. (Cl. Nil-J53) This invention relates generally to apparatus for operating an electric switch and in particular to apparatus for actuating an electric switch concurrently with the operation of another control. This invention has particular utility when used in connection with a control which is arranged to be remotely adjusted, such as the type currently used to remotely control the volume or" television sets.

Generally, the on-oif switch for a television set is operated by the volume control. This allows the set to be turned on and the volume adjusted through one control knob. In the remote control television sets now being designed, it is again desirable to have the on-off switch and the volume control operating together. Therefore, it is the principal object of this invention to provide apparatus whereby the mechanism which remotely adjusts the volume control also actuates the on-off switch for the set.

Of course, the invention is not limited to the operation of the on-off switch of a remotely controlled TV set. It can be used to operate other switches on the TV set or switches on other devices. Therefore, it is an additional object of this invention to provide actuating means which will operate a switch capable of being operated by rectilinear motion, in response to the rotary motion used to adjust another component.

Briefly, the invention comprises the combination of a disc and an elongated member or rod, the rod being mounted for axial movement. The disc is mounted on and rotates with the shaft of a control, such as a variable resistor, which is adjusted by rotation of the shaft. The rod engages a switch which is designed to be operated by rectilinear movement. The disc is arranged to engage the end of the rod and hold the switch either opened or closed as desired. Spring means are provided which bias the switch to the other position and which in turn biases the rod against the disc. One or more depressions are provided in the disc which engage the end of the rod as the disc is rotated and which allow the rod to move rectilinearly a sufficient distance to change the switch to its other position.

The invention will now be described in detail, making reference to the attached drawings in which:

FIGURE 1 is an isometric view of the switch, the volume control, the apparatus for actuating the switch, and the apparatus which is employed in actuating the volume control remotely.

FIGURE 2 is a side view of the apparatus illustrated in FIGURE 1 with a portion of the supporting bracket removed to better illustrate the relationship of the actuat ing armatures and the electromagnets.

FIGURES 3 and 4 are plan views of the same apparatus and illustrate the two positions of the switch. FIG- URE 3 illustrates the switch in the open position; and FIGURE 4 illustrates the switch in the closed position.

FIGURE 5 is a side view of the type switch which is particularly adaptable to this invention.

The switch, generally indicated at 1% may be of any type which can be operated by rectilinear motion, as, for example, a slide switch. In the preferred form of the invention, however, the switch used is of the type illustrated in the drawings; but it should be noted at the outset that the switch forms no part of this invention.

3,198,920 Patented Aug. 3, 1965 As illustrated, the switch is mounted on a base 15 and consists of the bracket 12, which is riveted to the base and which provides support for the stationary contact 11. It also forms the terminal 20 which extends outwardly from the opposite side of the base. The other terminal 21 is formed integrally with the bracket 17 which furnishes pivot points for the operating member 14 and the movable contact carrier 18, which carries the movable con.- tact 19.

The carrier 18 is U-shaped and is arranged so that the two legs of the U rest against the bracket 17 in notches provided therein, and pivots so as to move the movable contact 19 into and out of engagement with the stationary contact 11. The operating member 14 extends through the bracket 17 and pivots along the line where the shoulders 50 on the operating member contact the bracket as shown in FIGURE 5.

A coil pring 13 is stretched between the movable contact carrier 18 and the extreme end of the operating member 14. These members are all arranged so that when the operating member 14 is in the position indicated in FIGURE 3 the coil spring will hold the movable contact carrier 18 against the base 15 thereby maintaining the switch open since the movable contact 19 will be out of engagement with the stationary contact 11. When the operating member 14 is moved to the position shown in FIGURE 4, the spring moves the movable contact carrier 18 and the movable contact 19 away from the base 15 into engagement with the stationary contact 11. In this position, the switch is closed.

The parts of the switch are arranged so that the spring 13 will bias the switch toward the open position as best shown in FIGURE 3. In other words, the switch must be held in the closed position and it is this function that the novel arrangement of the actuating member or rod 16 and the disc 30 performs.

The actuating member or rod 16 is supported by the tabs 23 and 24. These tabs are provided with holes in which the rod is journaled. The tabs in turn are supported by, or, as shown, are an integral part of the bracket 28. This bracket also supports the switch 10 and, thus, maintains the switch and the rod in the proper spaced relationship.

The rod 16 is preferably made from nylon or some similar nonconductive material and is provided with shoulders 22 and 25. The shoulder 22 engages the operating member 14 of the switch while the shoulder 25 simply serves as a stop device to limit the amount of travel of the rod 16 in one direction. The end 27 of the rod is spherical in shape and engages a toothed circular member or disc 30 which limits the travel of the rod in the other direction. This disc 30 is mounted on the shaft 32 of the variable resistor 33 and rotates with the shaft 32 as the control is adjusted. The disc is equipped with teeth 31 on its periphery which are functional when the shaft is rotated remotely as explained below. The longitudinal axis of the rod is parallel to that of the shaft 32 and lies in the same vertical plane. However, it is spaced therefrom so that the spherical end of the rod engages a circular path on the disc as the disc is rotated.

Formed in the disc and lying in this circular path is the cavity 29. This cavity is formed to receive the spherical end 27 of the rod to thus allow the rod to move forward the required distance to cause the switch 10 to open as shown in FIGURE 3.

The variable resistor 33 may be manipulated either manually through the shaft 32 which extends outward from both sides of the control housing, or by a remote control system. One type remote control system is illustrated in the drawings and comprises two electromagnets 34 and 35 arranged to actuate armatures 37 and 36 respectively. Mounted on the end of each armature are spring dogs 38 and 39 which are arranged to engage the teeth 31 on the disc and rotate the disc an incremental distance each time one of the electromagnets is energized. Consequently, by selectively energizing the desired electromagnet, the setting of the variable resistor can be changed as desired. And further, by arranging the cavity 29 at the appropriate position, the switch 1% can be actuated at any point in the desired rotation of the variable resistor.

The device is usually arranged so that the variable resistor controls the audio output of the set with the switch functioning as either the on-oif switch for both the television chassis and the remote control chassis. If the switch controls only the television chassis it can be turned on or off remotely. However if it acts as the master switch for the set, it can be turned off remotely, but it must be turned on manually. This is easily accomplished by providing a knob on the shaft 32 outside the cabinet of the set. This also allows the volume of the set to be controlled manually if desired.

To illustrate the operation of the remote control device, assume the mechanism is in the position shown in FIG- URE 3 and that the switch controls only the elevision chassis of the set. The television viewer operates a device which generates a signal pulse of the proper frequency to cause the remote control circuit of the set to energize the electromagnet 34. The electromagnet in turn pulls the armature 37 toward it moving the spring dog 39 into engagement with the teeth 31 on the disc 39. These members are arranged to rotate the disc a predetermined amount. As the disc 34) rotates, it forces the spherical end 27 of the rod out of the depression 29 which causes it to move a sufiicient distance to close the switch. This is the condition shown in FIGURE 4. The television chassis is now turned on and by alternately energizing and deenergizing the electromagnet 34 the disc 30 can be rotated to the desired volume setting.

When the viewer desires to turn the set off, the reverse procedure is followed. A signal pulse of a different frequency causes the energization of the electromagnet 35. By pulse energizing this electromagnet a sufiicient number of times the disc 3%) is rotated to the point where the spherical end of the rod again enters the cavity 29 on the disc, allowing the rod to move forward to the position shown in FIGURE 3. At this point the switch is open and the television chassis is turned off For a complete description of the operation of the two electromagnets and their armatures, see co-pending application, Serial No. 146,747, filed on October 23, 1961, now Patent No. 3,115,589, issued December 24, 1963, entitled Electromagnet Stepping Motor.

Obviously, the mechanism of the switch, the actuating member, and the variable resistor would not need the remote control feature in order to function as desired. In other words, if the variable resistor was the volume control in a television set and it was desired to operate it manually throughout, the switch 16 could still function as the on-off switch without any change in its construction, by utilizing the operating mechanism of this invention.

Also, the invention could be employed to operate a switch having more than two positions, such as a multiposition slide switch by providing indentations or protrusions in the disc of varying heights and depths. The same switch could also be made to o erate at different angles of rotation by providing additional indentations. Or one or more additional switches could be added with their respective push rods operating in indents at different radial lengths from the center of the disc, if desired, and still not depart from the inventive concept described herein.

From the above description, it should be clear to those skilled in the art that this invention provides a novel and unique method of operating a switch through the concurrent operation of another control.

The invention claimed is:

1. In an electromagnetic switching device, the combination of a supporting means, an electrical control mounted on said supporting means, a shaft rotatably connected to the control for operation thereof, a toothed circular member fixedly secured to the shaft and provided with a cam surface, an actuating rod mounted on the supporting means and having one end thereof biased against the cam surface of the toothed circular member, a switch mounted on said supporting means, a pivotal member connected to the switch and operably engageable by the actuating rod for opening or closing the switch, and electromagnetic means for selectively rotating the toothed circular member and the shaft in either direction whereby upon energizing the electromagnetic means the toothed circular member rotates the shaft in either direction to operate the control and axially shift the actuating rod to move the pivotal member and operate the switch when the control is in one position of rotation.

2. A remotely controlled electromagnetic switching device comprising a frame, a shaft rotatably mounted on the frame, a toothed circular member fixed secured to one end of the shaft and provided with a cam surface normal to the axis of the shaft, a pair of electromagnets fixedly mounted on the frame, an armature operably connected to each of the electromagnets and movable from an energizing position to a nonenergizing position for rotating the toothed circular member through a predetermined angle, one of the armatures rotating the toothed circular member in one direction and the other or" the armatures rotating the toothed circular member in the other direction, an actuating member carried by the frame, one end of the actuating member following the cam surface, an insulating supporting panel mounted on the frame, a stationary contact and a movable contact carried by the panel, a spring biasing the movable contact to a normally open position, a pivotal member connected to the movable contact, one end of the pivotal member being connected to the spring and the other end of the pivotal member operably engaging the actuating member for urging one end of the actuating member against the cam surface, and means for energizing the clectrornagnets individually to rotate the toothed circular member in either direction for axially moving the actuating member with the cam surface for opening or closing the contacts of the switch.

3. In an electromagnetic device for controlling a switch and an electrical control, the combination of a shaft for the control, a toothed member fixedly secured to the shaft and provided with a cam surface, means perpendicular to the cam surface and following the cam surface for opening and closing the contacts of the switch, and a pair of electromagnets for rotating the toothed member, one of the electromagnets rotating the member in one direction to close the contacts of the switch and the other of the electromagnets rotating the member in the other direc tion to open the contacts of the switch.

4. In a remotely controlled switching device, the combination of a frame, a switch mounted on the frame, a shaft journalled on the frame, a toothed circular member fixedly secured to the shaft and provided with a cam surface, means normal to the periphery of the toothed circular member engaging the cam surface and the switch, and electromagnetic means for rotating the toothed circular member incrementally through a predetermined angle for actuating the switch.

5. In a remotely controlled switching device, the combination of a frame, an electrical control mounted on the frame, a switch supported by the frame, a shaft extending from the control for operation thereof, a toothed member mounted on the shaft, electromagnetic means carried by the frame for incrementally rotating the toothed member remotely from the device, and an actuating member having its axis in spaced parallel relationship to the axis of the shaft operably connecting the toothed 5 member to the switch whereby the shaft may be rotated from a remote location by the electromagnetic means or manually for closing the contacts of the switch and 0pcrating the control.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,203,236 6/40 Randolph et a1 200-153 X Gealt 2001S3 X Von Stoeder 200153 X Jordan 200105 X Cheltz 200156 X BERNARD A. GILHEANY, Primary Examiner.

ROBERT K. SCHAEFER, Examiner. 

4. IN A REMOTELY CONTROLLED SWITCHING DEVICE, THE COMBINATION OF A FRAME, A SWITCH MOUNTED ON THE FRAME, A SHAFT JOURNALLED ON THE FRAME, A TOOTHED CIRCULAR MEMBER FIXEDLY SECURED TO THE SHAFT AND PROVIDED WITH A CAM SURFACE, MEANS NORMAL TO THE PERIPHERY OF THE TOOTHED CIRCULAR MEMBER ENGAGING THE CAM SURFACE AND THE SWITCH, AND ELECTROMAGNETIC MEANS FOR ROTATING THE TOOTHED CIRCULAR MEMBER INCREMENTALLY THROUGH A PREDETERMINED ANGLE FOR ACTUATING THE SWITCH. 